This invention is directed to an improved agricultural spraying apparatus and method. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved post directed sprayer which can be used in conventional and no-tillage crop growing environments.
The present invention is directed to a post directed sprayer for applying agricultural chemicals, such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, in the field after a crop has been planted and is growing. Post directed sprayers are used to apply chemicals, such as herbicides, into a growing crop that is infested with problem weeds and grasses that cannot be controlled economically, if at all, by broadcast spraying herbicides over the top of the crop. Many weeds and grasses cannot be controlled by broadcast spraying techniques after the crop is up and growing. Chemicals which would control the growth of the weeds and grasses would also kill the crop if applied by the broadcast spraying technique. Those chemicals which may be available to give the desired control without causing crop injury are cost prohibitive. Post directed sprayers make it possible to apply harsh chemicals that would otherwise kill the crop and give excellent weed control efficiently and economically.
Post directed spraying has its own set of problems. For example, the spray nozzle must be placed between the crop rows and close to the ground, approximately 6-14 inches. When this is done, the success of post directed sprayers is very limited due to the fact that the problem weeds and grasses are usually standing up high enough to interrupt the spray pattern. Pest control thus becomes very erratic.
Another problem with post directed sprayers is that if the sprayer pressure is too high or the wind is blowing, chemical droplets will drift out of the prescribed area onto the crop plants, thus causing injury and death to the crop.
The improved post directed sprayer described herein incorporates solutions to the above-described problems. Chemical droplet drift is obviated by placing hoods or fenders on each side of the spraying nozzle, next to the crop row. The hoods lift the limbs and leaves of the plant up and push them toward the row, thus removing essentially all plant extensions from the path of the spray droplets.
A knock down bar assembly is placed in front of the spray nozzle and is adjustable upward and downward, forward and rear so that the weeds and grasses can be held down while the chemical is applied uniformly to the ground and from the base to the tip of the weeds and grasses. By doing this, excellent uniform control is obtained at a nominal cost; thus the highest crop yields are made possible.
Also a post sprayer assembly may be mounted to the apparatus that will allow the application of chemicals that are gentle to the crop right over and on the crop itself, or the application of an insecticide or fungicide to the crop row. As a general rule, the chemicals that will be applied to the crop row with the post sprayer assembly are very expensive and are cost prohibitive when applied with a broadcast sprayer. Therefore, the post sprayer assembly makes these chemicals more affordable by spraying only the narrow band of the row.